T+L Reports: Faith in Fashion

Travel + Leisure

June 15, 2009

Since Pope Benedict XVI's installation, Italian trendsetters seem to have turned to the Vatican for style tips. Roman dandies have discovered the pope's personal tailor, Annibale Gammarelli (34 Via Santa Chiara, Rome; 39-06/ 6880-1314), for knee-length socks in cardinal red or bishop purple, while rumor has it a few big-name designers have been scooping up the store's clerical brocade and pure-silk damask by the meter. The ecclesiastical clothing shop Ghezzi (3233 Via de' Cestari, Rome; 39-06/686-9744) carries a fetching array of clerical cuff links and priests' rings. In image-obsessed Milan, the new pontiff has even inspired the latest trend: the rosaries and priestly turtleneck sweaters carried by Confexclero (6 Via Larga, Milan; 39-02/8646-3750). Also being coveted: lace-edged nylon slip dresses designed for nuns. But the real question is, where did he get that adorable hat?—valerie waterhouse

Galisteo Inn

Rolling into the New Mexican village of Galisteo, 22 miles southeast of Santa Fe, is like traveling back in time. Dwarfed by high desert plains, the tiny town has dusty red dirt roads that wind their way among low-slung adobe houses, including the newly renovated Galisteo Inn. Each of its 11 affordable rooms is different, but all have rustic details such as soaring ceilings with raw vigas, handwoven cotton bedspreads, corner fireplaces, and well-worn floorboards. Shaded by cottonwood trees, the 300-year-old inn surrounds a grassy courtyard with a lap pool and a hot tub for those chilly desert nights. The cozy La Mancha Bar & Restaurant serves pineapple-infused vodka martinis, and in the restaurant, chef Enrique Guerrero whips up decadent portions of achiote-marinated shrimp and grilled honey-brine pork chops.

Confexclero

Ghezzi

Located in Old Rome, just a short stroll from the Gothic, Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Piazza della Minerva, this little shop sells beautiful sacred art and religious items that will appeal to the devout and collectors alike. Although many (if not most) items are geared at churches — lecturns, Canonical clothing, and tabernacles, for instance — souvenir hunters will find decor-ready pieces like ornate lamps and thuribles. Ghezzi sits along the strip Via de Cestari, which is known for its ecclesiastical boutiques.

Annibale Gammarelli

Roman dandies flock to this Sartoria per Ecclesiastici in search of knee-high socks in cardinal red, bishop purple, or sober black; the fine-knits make them perfect for wearing under Gucci loafers. Rumor has it that a leading fashion designer or two has also been seen in the shop, buying up metres of clerical brocade and silk damask, too. Cufflinks and gloves are among a selection of ecclesiastic accessories that are popular with fashion-forward types. The tiny boutique in Old Rome has been an official tailor of papal cossacks since 1792.